Called to account

Martin Kelly, Glasgow

12:01AM GMT 12 Jan 2004

Sir - What is interesting to note about the BBC's suspension of Mr Kilroy-Silk is that the Arab/Muslim lobby, in calling for his suspension, is able to dictate the content and timing of publicly funded broadcasting.

The law requires me to pay a licence fee and thereafter to have no control over how that licence fee is spent. A change to an elected director-general would address the BBC's subsidised democratic deficit, and at least we would have a better idea of what principles and politics inform public broadcasting. Nobody we don't vote for has the right to play politics at our expense.